Adrenal Fatigue?

[4forme]

Does anyone here either have or have experience with Adrenal Faigue?
I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue, Leaky Gut and Hypothyroid in Feb. this yr.
Have lots of food sesnativities and since cutting those out the IBS type symptoms have diminished almost completely. For 10 yrs I was under the impression I had Fibromyalgia, come to find that is not the case. Also that most of the time, those with Fibro. have these things I listed above.

Anyway, I am trying the raw lifestyle to heal these things. Changing my diet to whole foods, no sugar or processed foods helped tremendously, and am hoping raw can do even more.

I would love to hear any experiences you have had, any encouragement would be so great!
TIA!

[luckitri]

I have seen people post on here about that but I do not know if the threads were deleted. I am sorry but I am weary of searching for threads for people and then finding out that they are gone and I don't know why this would be. I have suffered adrenal problems, namely Cushing's disease and Addison's disease but this adrenal fatigue is something I don't quite understand. Hope a search is fruitful for you.

There are still quite a few threads that have this topic in them if you use the search bar. The first 2 that come up are dedicated to adrenal fatigue.

[daisyduke]

I have adrenal fatigue and am trying to work through it with raw foods.

What were/are your symptoms?

[Ariella]

i have adrenal exhaustion as well. i developed multiple food allergies. the guy i am working with was surprised i am able to get out of bed in the morning with them basically not functioning. i attribute that to high raw food living. i am taking vitamins though and working on building my body up since raw alone for me was not taking care of it, now that could be also due to great marital stress (that is when i really noticed they crashed), 3 pregnancies in the last 6 years. nursing for 3 1/2 years of the last 6. my body has not had much time to recover. i am personally cutting out the night nursing for my daughter now as i was told that adrenals can not heal if you dont get proper rest at night. good luck to you. i do attribute my being able to do all i do to raw living. i really believe it helps!

[luckitri]

Forgive my exhaustion - the first 2 threads were yours!

I know it is tedious going through all those old threads but I know that the majority of them have been deleted which is a real shame because there was some good help on those threads. This is a topic that comes up every few months on here and I really don't know about it because I had the Cushings and Addisons and they are a different type of adrenal problem.

[bunnybunny]

I am actually waiting right now for blood test results including adrenal function... Will probably have results by Thursday.

[exurb]

4forme, who made those diagnoses, and were they credible?

[4forme]

Wow, thanks for the replies, I haven't been on here in a few days because my computer wasn't working.

Luckitri- Yes, I actually posted this one twice as well and didn't realize it. I can understand that some of the same questions come up alot and it can get tedious. Thanks for replying anyway.

daisyduke- My symptoms were extreme fatigue, fibromyalgia, food intolerances, hypothyroid, heart palp and tachycardia during prenancy #4. Most of the other "minor" symptoms come under fibro, so won't bother to list them, as it seems endless.

arielle- I have been in a similar situation. Had 3 children in 4 yrs., husband traveling and in school as well. Multiple food sensativities undetected for yrs. Taking many, many pain killers for the fibro. pain. Many factors attributed to my getting sick. I have just had baby # 4, who is 9 mo. and still waking several times to nurse. I tried to get her to stop, and we got it down to once a night, which was do-able. But now she is teething, 3 teeth at once, and I can't make her go through that without some comfort. So, after these teeth are through we will work on night weaning again. So tired! Plus I homeschool 2 of my children. And my husband has just gotten back from a 2 week bussiness/school trip and will be on another 2 week trip next mo. Talk about stress! My Dr. tells me to sleep and not get stressed. Yeah right!

I am taking many supplements, and just informed my Dr I am going raw to help heal. Surprisingly he is supportive, only he wants me to eat fish twice a week. He was upset with me for not taking my thyroid meds. as he wants me to get better so he can take me off. I am very happy with this Dr., he seems to know what he's doing. He actually knows a Naturopath who went raw for healing. he stayed that way for 1 yr and felt much better, but started toi decline, so added a sm amt of cooked food back and it doing 100% better. It is also a bit harder being here because the variety of organic produce is limited, so I am unsure I will be able to get enough of the things I need. One day at a time though.


exerb- Yes, I believe my Dr. is credible, why do you ask? He did a blood test, my estrogen was a bit high, progesterone-rock bottom, testosterone-rock bottom, DHEA-rock bottom, T3 and T4 very low. Think that's it, would have to check. He also did a "Leaky Gut" test, this was unbeleiveable! With .1-.6 being normal, mine was 8.6! He said, worst he's ever seen.
I realize the saliva test is more conclusive and accurate but we can't do that here (in asia), they send all the tests to a lab in the states.

bunnybunny- Did you get your results yet?

i look forward to heaing some of the things you guys are able to do to bring you closer to health. I am so sick of being so tired all the time!

[tanishamarshall]

I have adrenal fatigue, I heard Maca would be great for this, so I plan to order some.

[4forme]

I don't know much about maca. Was just about to go look about it actually. Is it hard to find? Expensive?

Do you exercise to combat the fatigue? This is one of my biggest problems! I am losing so much muscle from no exercise because I am so tired!

[luckitri]

Be careful who you get it from. We bought some from what we considered a reliable source and could see no difference from it at all.

I sure hope you get a break. Maybe cut back on some of what you expect of yourself?

[tanishamarshall]

4forme,

It's best to be in bed by 10:00 every night I think between 11:00pm and 1:00am the adrenals start to rebuild themselves and if we tend to stay up to late we are not allowing this to happen.

Also you need to stay away from stressful situations if at all possible, I know we all will encounter stress even when we don't know it but whatever way we can avoid it woudl be great.

Before Raw my nautralpath gave me medicine that did help a great deal but I had to stop taking them. Since Going Raw I have had so much more energy and I've found that the earlier I go to bed the better I feel the next morning.

Do you have Low Cortisol or Hight Cortisol? I have Low Cortisol.

Tanisha

[Ariella]

this is what i am doing and seem to be slowly recovering. it has been 1 1/2 months roughly since being diagnosed through saliva test and bloodwork.

flax seed
brazil nut (for thyroid - guess it can not function without selenium which the brazil nut supplies LOTS of)
b6 - 2 times daily
b5 - 2 times daily
vit c timed released - 2 times daily
multivitamins - 2 times daily
probiotics
megazymes
living fuel
greens first (mix of greens)
hemp protein powder
also taking cortisol

i think that is it. it is really helping. also meditating - trying daily. yoga. getting some sun and trying to night wean my daughter so i can get a full nights rest!!

i also cut back a little on the cardio workouts. they said weights and yoga and pilates are ok but cardio is stressful for the adrenals.

HTH! good luck!! :)

Ariella

[4forme]

I don't know wether my cortisol is high or low, he tested it and said it was fine. But according to another website I was researching on, it was quite low for the morning levels. And that was bloodtest not saliva. I wish I could get a saliva test done, but cannot here.

Yes, I know getting to bed by 10 is best. It's so difficult when I am so tired all day then am wide awake after 9 or 10pm. Then not tired at all. Such is life with adrenal fatigue I guess, which is the cortisol levels being messed up.

Plus, my daughter who is 9mo. still wakes at all hours of the night to nurse. She is very strong and stubborn, and night weaning is a long process.

Ariella, you are taking cortisol? Is this from your DR.? It is safe for b'feeding? I had wondered about that.
I am taking:
Vit C
Probiotics
Selenium and Vit. E
Adrenal Cortex (2/day)
Eltroxin for Thyroid
Thyrosil (herbal thyroid support) (2/day)
Magnesium
Bioidentical Progesterone cream

I have been taking these things for 5mo. and see very little improvement. Maybe it's becuase I don't get alot of sleep. Stressful situations make me exhausted as well, leading me to beleive my cortisol is low vs high, not being able to "fight" during stress.

So, you do exercise? Do you think that is helpful? It is so difficult to get out and exercise, as any free moment I have I am trying to sleep, or rest. With my sleep issues and my daughters lack of sleep/nursing, I only get about 6 hours of sleep by the time my other 3 children wake and I start school with them.

Thanks for all the advice. I know it will be a long road of recovery, it's just nice there are others who understand. My husband just doesn't get it sometimes.

[tanishamarshall]

My naturalopath had me taking.

Sheriphos
MG Taurine Forte
Green Tea
Cellfood

And it did help, alot of my problems had gotten better but then after a month or 2 I could no longer take the medicine I started having problems with my throat.

[luckitri]

There is another condition where the cortisol releases at night instead of in the a.m. like it is supposed to. This would result in being awake at night and sleepy during day. I do not know proper medical term for this. The test is very rare and has to be ordered.

[4forme]

I am not sure of what this is.

But, Adrenal Fatigue is basically what it says. The Adrenal glands are getting tired, from many possible things, stress, food sensativities are two main things.
It's a few steps away from, Addison's disease, I think, and not nearly as severe, but depends on the level of fatigue.

[kmik]

Thanks for this post... I suspect I've had adrenal fatigue since I was a child. I recently realized that never once in my live that I can recall have I awoke in the morning feeling well rested and full of energy. It's always a chore for me to get out of bed, even if I've slept until noon. Being 100% raw does help me, but still not to the point that I would consider "normal." I've recently started incorporating maca into my daily routine. I heard from Brendan Brazier, a mostly raw, vegan pro athlete, that it can take up to a couple months for the maca to get your body to the point where it starts healing.

I do my best to avoid stimulants, as I think this contributes to the problem, but there are times when I just can't go on without a banana, cashew, cacao nib smoothie to keep me awake! :o

[tanishamarshall]

I do my best to avoid stimulants, as I think this contributes to the problem, but there are times when I just can't go on without a banana, cashew, cacao nib smoothie to keep me awake! :o


Are these not good for people with Adrenal Fatigue? I didn't know I should be watching this.. Hmmm.

[kmik]

Are these not good for people with Adrenal Fatigue?

I've not been told this, just my gut feeling... kind of like beating a dead horse, or trying to get water out of a rock :(

[Ariella]

no you should try to avoid cacao. i think the nuts are ok. but the cacao does have caffeine or at least it affects me that way. i was told to stay away from things that stimulate the adrenals although i can not always do that.

the guy i am working with with is at www.itcpharmacy.com he has a lot of luck in working with people with hormone issues. everything he does if he does prescribe something is bioidentical and not a traditional medicine. as i said he says they are bioidentical. i did not actually go in to see him to have stuff done. the blood work i did at my drs. but the saliva test, he sent me and then i sent it to the lab. he can do a phone consult for you as well. the one i am working with is Gary King.

hope that helps :) maybe you could get a saliva test done with him. or if you have questions first i think the email is on the site. yo ucould email him and see if it is for you.

[4forme]

Yes, stimulants are not good for the adrenals! It's difficult because sometimes you need the extra boost to get you going. Instead of cocoa, try coconut oil in your smoothies. That gives me great energy!
I also notice a great improvement being high raw, but I am on some major supplemements as well.
How is it going with maca? I still have not found it, but would like to know more about it.
Hope you are able to find some answers.

[kaybee]

luckitri or anyone else--

do you have any more info on that condition luckitri was talking about with the cortisol releasing at night instead of during the day? ive been trying to figure out whats been wrong with me the last year and a half--sleepy during the day until about 3 pm. wide awake and focused late afternoons and evenings and late into the night. totally wrecked and semi-functional in the mornings. unaffected by changes in diet, sleep schedule, supplements, exercise, location change, etc etc etc. extremely frustrating. dr. did bloodwork for thyroid and female hormones, all within normal range though some maybe a bit low but not radically low. i wasnt willing to go on thyroid meds for hypothyroid or hrt without knowing for sure if that would fix the problem, have tried thyroid support supps, high potency dr recommended iodine supplement, etc. no change. still dealing with the frustration of losing half of my days. i think my cortisol was checked too and that was near normal range....BUT I KEEP FEELING LIKE MY BODY'S SCHEDULE IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND I CANT FIX IT...WONDER ABOUT THAT CONDITION WITH THE CORTISOL RELEASING AT THE WRONG TIME..... any more info on that? of course i guess if i was diagnosed, all they would do is put me on drugs anyway, which i dont want. but im sick of being sick and raw hasnt cured it....

thanks

kaybee

[luckitri]

kaybee I wish I knew the name of it but I don't. I know that the doctor mentioned it to me but then ended up suggesting melatonin which did very little for me (actually if it is not sublingual it will make my heart jump out of my chest.) The test for this condition is expensive and your doctor most likely will try to conform to health plan requirements to not do it and save them money. Even if they confirm that your cortisol is releasing at the wrong time I have no idea how they would address it and their solution may be very distasteful to you.

You need to ask this question of an endocrinologist.

Try melatonin?

Could the thyroid be making you sleepy?

[Lady Green Jeans]

kaybee and others,

Yes caffiene is such bad news. I cringe every time I see someone buying the "double whammy jolt-type drinks." Don't know if it ever made a differncek, but used to comment on the number it was going to do on their adrenals. A lot of them are young individuals and just kind of look at me like--hey I'm young and will overcome. Life lesson to be learned the hard way.

Have had my share of physical issues including cancer. Did not let Dr.'s be my main source--did a tremendous amount of research on my own. Maybe start with what the adrenals do for the body and dig deeper until you find your answers. There are awsome sites to tap into--medical school research sites, medical libraries, research around clinical trials--really tremendous resources out there.

[Angelina]

I just had to reply to this post! I have been suffering with Adrenal Fatigure which is basically Addisons, but with the adrenals still functioning slightly; and hypothyroid - they go hand in hand many times) or about 2 years now. I am slowly getting back into raw - haven't been raw since January 06. I had to stop because it was absolutely killing me! I need to hear other's stories of their adrenal fatigue. At my worst point I had severe pain throughout my body, my food allergies were out of control (I was allergic to almost EVERYTHING I ate) - I was suffering from severe edema. I had put on close to 40lbs in 8 weeks (while eating raw, but this was due to many of my hormones being out of whack). I couldn't work out at all due to exhaustion and because it was making things worse (I had no cortisol to support exercise). I couldn't even have green smoothies without getting sick (I couldn't process any sugar, even in smaller doses from fruits) After going through many drs. I found one that was able to diagnose me and he got me on armour thyroid and isocort and was going to put me on cortisone, but then he retired :mad: I soon found another dr. she put me on cortisone and I immediately started to feel better :p I eventually (very slooowly) took off 20lbs; but recently (i.e. the past month) I have put on 14lbs out of the blue and very rapidly. I have been on a vegetarian diet (with the occaisional fish or chicken if I'm out, very rare, maybe every other month), living on tons of veggies, no soy(bad for thyroid), raw protein shakes (usually VEGA), etc. I feel like I'm on the brink of going back to hi raw, but I am soo afraid being that my last experience just ravaged my body. For all those with adrenal issues, please let me know your experience and what you can eat??

[Angelina]

this is what i am doing and seem to be slowly recovering. it has been 1 1/2 months roughly since being diagnosed through saliva test and bloodwork.

flax seed
brazil nut (for thyroid - guess it can not function without selenium which the brazil nut supplies LOTS of)
b6 - 2 times daily
b5 - 2 times daily
vit c timed released - 2 times daily
multivitamins - 2 times daily
probiotics
megazymes
living fuel
greens first (mix of greens)
hemp protein powder
also taking cortisol

i think that is it. it is really helping. also meditating - trying daily. yoga. getting some sun and trying to night wean my daughter so i can get a full nights rest!!

i also cut back a little on the cardio workouts. they said weights and yoga and pilates are ok but cardio is stressful for the adrenals.

HTH! good luck!! :)

Ariella


Hey Ariella...

that list looks similiar to mine!! What is Living fuel? is it actually raw? I am so leary about trying new products due to all my allergies...What does it do for you? Also, how much cortisone are you currently on? My highest dose was about 32.5, now I'm at 20mg, but having a few "issues" right now.

Thanks so much :)

[Lay-Lay]

I had Adrenal Fatigue and Hypothyroid before raw foods and I no longer do. I have not taken meds for it in over 2 years. GO RAW!

[Angelina]

Lay lay..

thanks for the reply..what meds were you on for AF....how were your other readings - glucose, insulin and other hormones. My insulin and glucose were high (i think that was the main cause of my rapid weight gain) and other hormones (progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, dhea, pregnenolone) were low. Whats your typical diet like?

[Lay-Lay]

Lay lay..

thanks for the reply..what meds were you on for AF....how were your other readings - glucose, insulin and other hormones. My insulin and glucose were high (i think that was the main cause of my rapid weight gain) and other hormones (progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, dhea, pregnenolone) were low. Whats your typical diet like?

I was on about 12 perscriptions at one point in time. I don't remember what all I was on. But I was on Metformin (Glucopage) for my insullin levels to help w/PCOS and hemmoraging, along with birth control. Progesteron was another hormone I was on by itself.

My diet now varies day to day like most raw fooders. I typically go by what I want, what I am craving. I figure that is what I am needing.

Today I had:

7:30 am 1 quart green smoothie (2 handfuls of kale, 1 banana, 1 apple, 10 strawberries, water)

8:30 peach

12pm Salad (Work Lunch at Resteraunt) Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, onion, tomatoes, olive oil and italian seasoning.

For dinner tonight I imagine I will have some melon.

Yesterday:


8:30am Green Smoothie (similiar to above, no strawberries, had peaches)

11am grapefruit and peaches

6pm Large plate of baby greens, pumpkin seeds, dried tomatoes, tomatoes, olives, leeks, avocado, with a lime juice dressing. YUMMY!

Dessert (after church) 9:45pm peach

[Veganforlife]

I have not read all the postings on this, but I am listening to David Wolfe's Raw Food World Summit phone call. He spoke of adrenal fatigue and equates it to being dehydrated and lacking salt. All creatures seek out salt and water. David feels that many, many raw foodists do not take in enough sea salt as they feel salt is bad. It's not. It holds our hydration within our bodies and is very beneficial for us. He puts salt (just a pinch) into his water so he is surely getting enough. He starts his day drinking as much water as he can hold. He "saturates" himself and throughout the day drinks water with salt. Or eats salty foods - sea veggies, etc. He states that this is a BIG source of adrenal fatigue, being DE-hydrated and not having enough salt in our bodies.
I value his knowledge and experience. He's got 15 years on me with this raw lifestyle. For what it's worth...

[momelock]

Angelina,

Although I have never been medically diagnosed with adrenal fatigue (doctors tested me but said I didn't have it - don't think they looked enough), my acupuncturist greatly suspected it due to tongue and pulse, and energy reading (where she holds a medalion on a string over different parts of my body to see where there is activity). There was LOW activity in that region. Plus, I had all the other symptoms like hairloss, EXTREME fatigue, exhaustion after exercise, emotional roller coaster, couldn't loose weight, cravings for HIGH fat foods which never satisfied me and made me feel even worse. She gave me some pills from Biotics Research Corporation called Cytozyme-AD. It is NOT vegan. It is bovine adrenal complex at the cellular level. This is NOT just ground up adrenal gland. BUT, let me tell you that it has been a BIG GIGANTIC help for me. I take two every morning until I feel I can exercise, live, etc with good energy and then I can go down to one a day for maintenance or as needed. Taking greens powder helped in the beginning with my overall energy level, but I still couldn't exercise or handle stress. But, these little pills have been soooooooo helpful to me. I can actually exercise more than 2 or 3 days a week and feel good.

[Angelina]

Lucy..I definitely agree with the dehydration related to adrenal issues, adrenals run on salt so that does make sense. I have used sea salt and have gotten a bit of benefit, nothing major. I think that mine were so far gone that even adding salt only gave me minimal results..

Momelock, I have used Cytozyme-AD. Unfortunately it really didn't do too much for me (that was about a year ago) - the cortisone worked extremely well for me though, but I would just like to get off of it! What about foods? were there some that you just reacted to badly??? I'm fearing that my adrenals are not healing; i was fine for so long and then bam - this weight gain (for me, the gain is less a vanity issue and more a "health" issue - when I gain it usually means my body is really out of whack since I've been eating really healthy, not 100% raw but fruits, veggies, etc.)

[luckitri]

Angelina, the weight gain is from the cortisone, no? I think you are stuck until you get off it but you cannot just quit it. The cortisone is functioning instead of your adrenals and serves to keep your adrenals shut down. You could die. (What they told me.) I tried cutting the pills down and weaning off slowly over months. I got really skinny and weak which meant that I had the Addisons' disease and that my adrenal (only have 1 left) was not functioning on its own. This is not something you can do on your own - must have doctor guidance. Fortunately I did find doctors who agreed with me once my adrenal revived (I was told that it was dead forever) so that when I needed subsequent surguries and the hospital wanted me to have cortisol for their legal safety - the new endocrinologist agreed with me that the cortisone could shut down the adrenal again and did not want to risk it as preventative.

[luckitri]

www.watercure2.org/


This guy taught me how to put the seasalt in the water. Then when I got to the best endocrinologist in the PX AZ area - turned out he already knew about it and was pleased that I was being so proactive in my own care!

[Angelina]

hi luckitri.... I don't believe the weight gain is from the cortisone, I'm on a low dose of compounded hydrocortisone; actually I wasn't able to lose weight (the initial 20lbs) until I got on the cortisone, in my case its not only needed because of my adrenals not making any, but its also needed for the thyroid meds to be used properly...and what kinda doesn't make sense to me is that I've put on this weight after lowering my dose!!!! I just fear that my other hormones are out of whack - insulin/glucose - I think that is what made it impossible to follow a raw diet previously (I couldn't handle ANY sugars, so green smoothies were out)... thanks for the reply.. I'm checking out the link with the saltwater.

[momelock]

Lucy..I definitely agree with the dehydration related to adrenal issues, adrenals run on salt so that does make sense. I have used sea salt and have gotten a bit of benefit, nothing major. I think that mine were so far gone that even adding salt only gave me minimal results..

Momelock, I have used Cytozyme-AD. Unfortunately it really didn't do too much for me (that was about a year ago) - the cortisone worked extremely well for me though, but I would just like to get off of it! What about foods? were there some that you just reacted to badly??? I'm fearing that my adrenals are not healing; i was fine for so long and then bam - this weight gain (for me, the gain is less a vanity issue and more a "health" issue - when I gain it usually means my body is really out of whack since I've been eating really healthy, not 100% raw but fruits, veggies, etc.)
Sorry to hear it didn't work for you. The only other things that help me are prayer, veggies, no grains, sugar, and I take the greens which does help. I just have to be consistent and take it EVERY day. It's the same powder that Alissa sells, she just bought the powder from the company that makes it and puts her name on it, but it's exactly the same stuff. It's being able to handle the stress, too. And, I find that when I pray a lot that things don't bother me so much and I can handle life a lot better without MAKING MYSELF exhausted.

[luckitri]

My husband is diabetic and he loves bananas which I think are too high sugar for him. I get him the green ones and when they ripen too much the rest go in my smoothies. Or you could just freeze them green. Personally I don't like bananas all that much but get in trouble cuz I hate seeing food go to waste.

I didn't want the fruit for a long time and just made green drinks. They did not keep well like the smoothies do.

With just green drinks and vegetables I had difficult time controlling my hunger at work.

Yep thyroid can make you gain weight. All very confusing.

[Angelina]

Momelock, which green powder are you currently using? I've tried so many and usually just go by taste! I love the greens plus berry burst and pure prescriptions one (minty flavor)...I want to try garden of life berry too...

[4forme]

It makes sense to hear that dehydration could be linked to this. I have been dehdrated basiclly, all my life. Not one to like to drink.
I also crave salt, and suage like a mad woman, and add sea salt to everything. My blood pressue is still low, so I know this is something my body needs.

Angelina, your experience sounds quite severe. I have not gotten to that extreme, and hopefully won't. I was diagnosed after my 4th baby was born. I had PPD, and was diagnosed with hypothyroid, and adrenal fatigue as well as leaky gut, at the same time.
My Dr. put me on some Eltroxin, Thyrosil, Selenium with Vit. E, Progesterone cream (a huge lifesaver!), Magnesium, Vit. C, Super probiotics, and did a food allergies test to determine my intolerances. He wants to wait until I am finished b'feeding to really begin healing, since alot of the supplements will not be beneficial to my daughter. I was under the impression I had Fibromylagia, but turns out my gut lining was so "leaky" that, as soon as I took out the foods I was intolerant to, I felt so much better! The pain I used to experience went from constant to rarely.
It is hard to tell which made me better because I doubled my supplements and got religious about taking them at the same time I went high raw. I have been 75+ raw for about 4 weeks.
But, truthfully, my energy has sky rocketed, and I haven't needed a nap in weeks. I am also starting to exercise and get out everyday. This is huge!
Now, if I could stop emotional eating and lose some weight, we will be in good shape!
I look forward to hearing how you begin to heal. blessings

[momelock]

Angelina, I take Vitamineral Green from Healthforce Nutritionals. I live in Southern California and it's made here in my city, so I can get it real easy in the HFS. Like I said, Alissa sells it, too, she just has a different label on the bottle. It's the exact same product. So, you can google "Healforce Nutritionals" or buy from Alissa. Here is what is in it:

whole leaf barley grass
whole leaf wheat grass
nettle leaf
shavegrass (horsetail)
alfalfa leaf juice
dandelion leaf juice
barley grass juice
oat grass juice
burdock root
broccoli juice
kale juice
spinach juice
parsley juice
carob pod
ginger root
nopal cactus
amla berry
spirulina
broken cell wall chlorella
icelandic kelp
Nova Scotia Dulse
Protease
Amylase
Lipase
Cellulase
Bromelain
Papain
Alpha Galactosidase
A long list of probiotics and Natural Soil Organisms (NSO)

A lot! When I first started taking it, I drank two tablespoons a day and I noticed a huge jump in energy within a week or two. Of course, I was eating the SAD and was depleted, but I still feel even better when I take it. I didn't like the taste at first because I was not used to eating anything healthy, but now I just drink it with water. It just tastes grassy. I also have Perfect Food from Garden of Life and I can't stand the taste of it because it tastes like brussel sprouts and other veggies I never liked as a child. But, I don't mind the grassy taste of VMG.

Also, go to an acupuncturist. He/she will work on your kidneys and probably spleen. Just stay away from sugar, caffine, too much fat (that was another killer for me). Eat lots of greens, green powder, and try to eliminate stress in your life. Don't do too much. Simplify your life so you don't get overwhelmed and cause yourself to exert more energy than neccesary. You don't have to be superwoman. Simplicity is very attractive. ;)

[belle]

www.watercure2.org/


This guy taught me how to put the seasalt in the water. Then when I got to the best endocrinologist in the PX AZ area - turned out he already knew about it and was pleased that I was being so proactive in my own care!


that is great info, makes so much sense!!!
did you bloat from the added sea salt at first?? do you still do this and how has it made a difference for you from day to day.

[4forme]

What do you all do for exercise?
I have found after any form of exercising beyond walking I am exhausted for days. It's frustrating! I just want to sleep all day again, so it seems pointless.

[Angelina]

I couldn't do ANY exercise for many months :eek: and then when I started up again, it was very gradual. I also don't think I would've been able to do anything if it wasn't for the cortisone that I'm taking. I would be worse than exhausted ~ I used to get severe headaches, nausea, shakiness. The reactions are due to low cortisone; cortisone is supposed to be higher in the morning and taper off throughout the day. good luck!

[4forme]

I am not taing cortisone. I don't think we can do a saliva test here, needs to be sent to the US. I want to speak to my Dr about it though, but because we need to be cautious of my b'fed dd, I am not taking all I could be right now.
The little exercise I get just seems to exhaust me. But it's frustrating losing all my muscle/strength.
What do you do to keep up your strength and keep from losing muscle? Is band work too much also?

[eatyourbroccoli]

hey..i'm not sure if you're still looking for answers, but what has helped me is 70 to 100 ounces of water a day (i weigh about 130ish so i'd suggest adjusting to correlate with your own weight), and probiotic pearls. i've tried even expensive Bio-K probiotics, and while they worked, they were only about 1/5th of what the probiotic pearls (that's the name..they sell them here at the integrative pharmacy, so probably at most health food stores) can do.

they've helped regulate my digestion, and because of this everything else has been falling into place.

it's also really, really important to get outside in the sun. i know that may sound goofy and/or new agey, but really! since moving here to boulder from toronto, and since being outside more AND since boulder is sunnier than san diego, there have been marked improvements in my health (in combination with those probiotic pearls which are nothing short of amazing).

i'm even able to eat NUTS and sprouted GRAINS again! and i wasn't able to for about a year because my intolerances had gotta so crazy. at one point i was literally living on smoothies and romaine lettuce. it was awful. now just last evening i had a big bag of raw cinnamon raisin granola with sprouted grains, and 2 big almond raisin bars, and i'm fine :D

haha i sound like a commercial, but really it's just exiciting for me.

[eatyourbroccoli]

oo forgot to add..i also took Gensis' 4-Energy for awhile. for quite awhile, actually. it does help a bit..but the probiotics have definitely helped the most (the good bacteria in our gut makes b vitamins for us)

[nfracer]

OK, I must revive this thread because I need help....I can't re-write my blog entry so maybe someone can read it and lead me in the right direction....I am up in arms! So many things...Do this, don't do this, aaaaggghhhh! I went raw for the simplicity and now feel overwhelmed by the restrictions! I am desperate and down trodden!
:(
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/blogs/blog-14141/entry-9671/

[4forme]

Gosh, I am so sorry you are going through this! I replied to your other post about Wilson's Syndrome, did you see it?
Can you give me an idea of what you are eating? Since you have upped your committmnt to raw, not even gum, maybe you are detoxing on another level. (?) Maybe some food combining?
Yes, Dr.s are very frustrating at times, but if you find the right one, or at last go in educated, you can at least get the right tests done to find some answers. Sounds like you may have some hormone issues as well. The extensive cardio you do may be harmful if your adrenals are fatigued. Also, you may actually need to eat more, if you seriously burn that many calories/day. It may just think it needs to store the calories.
I don't know, just throwing out some thoughts. Does any of this ressonate with you? hugs!

[justinesmith]

[QUOTE=4forme;385343]extensive cardio you do may be harmful if your adrenals are fatigued. Also, you may actually need to eat more, if you seriously burn that many calories/day. It may just think it needs to store the calories.
QUOTE]

SO TRUE!! Excessive exercise without proper adrenal support is NOT healthy. Any type of stress (good or bad) is hard on the adrenals ~ they don't know the difference between the two. Too much fat is hard on the adrenals as well and it is important to take in enough calories. Best of luck.....

[4forme]

Too much fat is hard on the adrenals!!?? I didn't know that!
So, what is the best food combination for helping the adrenals, I mean, besides all raw. I thoguht it was lower sugar and more moderate fat and protein?
I think I am struggling with Candida, (i have leaky gut also:( ), and having a hard time lately, staying raw and eating normal quantities.

[nfracer]

Thank you soooooo much for your quick responses. That is what I love about this forum....Someone, somewhere can always empathize!
I think I may know what part of my problem may be...I have a lot of food intolerances: wheat, dairy, soy,.....That is what led me to raw in the first place.....I think one culprit is the (Bragg's ) liquid aminos......made from soy? and full of sodium? Duh, no wonder. I can't tolerate soy and had a TON (ok a cup!!!:eek: ) of it yesterday mixed with nutri-yeast and water for a cheese sauce!!! Would that explain a 10 pound weight increase overnight? I kid you not, 10 pounds!!!! And guess what, I ran outside this a.m. and sweat like crazy and that 10 pounds is gone....Disgusting I know but true! I have been drinking more water,,,,staying 100% raw....even stopped chewing gum due to the chemicals. I do not even drink tea or coffee (coffee has been a crutch I've used off and on this winter to prevent running down-I know-bad....but I am only human!).......sorry to unload all this here. I wrote more in my blog...I really really really want to stay 100% raw but think I need more protein as a runner (I have ridges in my nails-sign of deficiencies in protein and B vitamins!!!)......I am open for suggestions...I'd love it to be food based as opposed to supplements but do currently supplement with: tyrosine, DHEA, guggal, wild yam extract, colloidal minerals, and kelp to address the "wilson's syndrome" issues.....now what for the adrenals????? AAAGGGHHHH, I said this in my blog but I'll say it again. I switched to a living foods lifestyle to simplify not complicate. I don't WANT to take pills, etc, but feel like I must to get better/at least on track......ok, I'll blog all this instead...sorry again to unload all this....what a coach I am! :(

four4me- I eat quite a bit! I start with juice pre-run a smoothie post run (as green as I can tolerate) next a fruit meal.....then I fall apart...I vary depending on how I feel....I think I need more protein 10% is not enough! Any suggestions for high protein low-fat foods let me know!!!!! (and I KNOW greens are good, any other suggestions?:rolleyes: ) Thank you!!!!
ps any suggestions for treating the glands naturally? BTW, I am post menapausal with LOW LOW estrogen etc....so that plays into it too but no HRT's for me!!!!!:eek:

[4forme]

I will respond more in the morning, it's 1am here. Yes, you can suppoirt adrenals naturallly and you can get mor protein. Hang in there!

[nfracer]

[QUOTE=4forme;385343]extensive cardio you do may be harmful if your adrenals are fatigued. Also, you may actually need to eat more, if you seriously burn that many calories/day. It may just think it needs to store the calories.
QUOTE]

SO TRUE!! Excessive exercise without proper adrenal support is NOT healthy. Any type of stress (good or bad) is hard on the adrenals ~ they don't know the difference between the two. Too much fat is hard on the adrenals as well and it is important to take in enough calories. Best of luck.....

I have actually been thinking that myself...any suggestions? I also notice a 10 pound weight gain and this run down feeling happens each winter since raw???? Hmmm, maybe my body is trying to conserve more cuz I should be hibernating!!!!!

Justine-Off-topic---are your kids raw? If so, any suggestions for that? Mine will juice and have a smoothie occasionaly....that's it:(

[4forme]

nfracer- How are you doing? Have you been able to work anything out?

My children are not raw, neither is my husband. They are all (except the baby and ds2) big meat eaters. The baby is probly 90% raw. Sorry I don't have alot of suggestions. But, I have found if you make raw desserts and wow them with those, it can turn them quickly. Also, just present lots of salads during meal time, instead of making only enough for you, make more and allow any/everyone to try some if they want. My DH has liked quite a few of the ones i have made. Also smoothies green or otherwise. You can hide lots of great stuff in them and make them super tasty as well.

Hope that helps some. Let us know how you are doing! Wendy

[nfracer]

fit4me- Thank you for your response/concern. I had a "deep pep talk with myself over the weekend. Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired I felt like I needed to rest and regroup. Today I am actually on Day 4 of the Master Cleanse and doing VERY well. The SWF did not even work the first day I was so inflammed so Monday I felt awful....But today is Thursday and the bloating is gone, as is the inflammation. My goal is 10 days or 140 pounds....whichever comes first....looks like it will be the 10 days (sigh))...but I DO feel better + I have never lasted longer than 2 1/2 days on the MC so something is working!!! I do the SWF each a.m. + bring my "lemonade" right along with me to school! I survived our class Valentine party-raw by the way (we made a big fruit salad!)....I just had to make my aide cut up the watermelon because that seems to be what I WANT right now! I'm not really hungry or anything-just craving. They say the first 3 days are the worst so I'm over the hump! As the cleanse draws closer to an end I am going to come up with a better meal plan and "stay clean"....I have been studying the phases of Gabriel Cousin's book "Rainbow Food Live Cuisine" and am contemplating it....need to learn more- nad reread-chemistry was not my strength! Thanks again for checking on me!
Di

[ewatrmln]

Hi Everyone,

I know that most of you folks posted on this topic quite a while ago, but I'm hoping to resurrect the discussion, if I can. I've been having adrenal issues ever since I "recovered" from anorexia and slipped into NES (night eating syndrome). The biochemical changes that I brought upon myself by eating very little in the daytime and a wholedoggonelot at night included totally messing up my cortisol and melatonin cycles. Now, almost every day, I have to drag myself out of bed and often sleep until noon or the afternoon (having finally fallen asleep at 4, 5, or 6 AM). If I have obligations in the morning, then I just skimp on sleep and feel more wiped out. I've tried to get myself to eat more during the day so as to not be so hungry at night; womentowomen.com and other sites say that this will help shift the cortisol production back to a more normal rhythm. But I haven't managed to do this yet (fear of gaining even more weight by eating in the day AND the night).

If any of you are interested, there's some good information available at womentowomen.com. I haven't tried their free treatment trial, because I'm leery of deals like that. But I take some of the things they recommend for AF, like rhodiola. I've also been using maca, several tsp per day of the MacaMagic brand, and have found that (at least) it might've helped me get my period on my own again (after 16 years of amenorrhea!) It's helped my libido and energy level a bit. But I still want to recover normal energy levels, blood sugar levels, and concentration! My Master's thesis is due in December, only 4 months away, and I can't think or focus well enough to write it.

Any thoughts on what to target first - AF or candida (have both), and the best raw food approach for both? Graham says 811, Alissa and Gabe Cousens differ. I'm confused.

Best wishes to all for Labor Day!

[anneh]

sorry I just realized that I should have responded to my original thread

[kaybee]

nettle seed, licorice root, eleuthero, ginger. all supposed to be helpful for adrenal fatigue. there are threads on it at www.healingwiseforum.com.

[sheela]

I was diagnosed recently with Addisons Disease and am already hypothyroid with Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis. I am not on any meds other than thyroid, and just ordered some raw glandular pills. I am getting thinner and thinner, and am pretty sick. I am not eating raw because I was getting too thin. I guess I would stick to it if I knew it would cure me. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Thanks,
Sheila

[luonnollisesti]

I am also a believer of raw food, but not knowing what is really the cure for AF, thyroid and weight loss. my BMI is around 18 (underweight) and I'm afraid to go more raw than I am now, about 80 %.

Stress is my number one enemy, even eating raw causes me stress, since I don't quite know what exactly to eat. Plus my dear husband does not want to support me, he wants his meat. Then what to feed to kids...

But I have to say that being sick and tired of being sick and tired, something has to happen, I cannot exist like this.

What do you think, is it a good idea to support detoxing with some sort of cleansing program? AF does not allow to fast, but something lighter. I have to eat every 2,5-3hours not to get weak, although I was on a raw food course and the lunch we cooked kept me happy for over 6 hours!!

I have noticed that I need salt a lot, I start my day with a liter of salt water, currently I use Bolivian rock salt, nice tasting pink stuff but maybe unrefined sea salt is better.

We just had an almost raw lunch with kids, great invention that they love!
We set up picnic cloth on the kitchen floor and I put out all kinds of stuff already sliced and cut. Then they put together their plates, make believe gardens etc. Great fun and healthy!

[CathyA.]

great idea about the pic'nic.
ask your husband to support your raw eating as you support his choice to eat SAD. Remind him that you are not asking him to change his life only to accept you.

[Tsurugi_Oni]

I just wanted to chime in. I don't frequent this forum much anymore, but since I am currently being treated for adrenal fatigue (with MUCH success) by a hollistic doctor, I figure I can offer some advice.

Avoid all stimulants, energy drinks, and artificial sweeteners!!! They'll overwork your already stressed adrenals.

One of the ways I believe he helped diagnosed my AF is through an interesting blood pressure test. Finding out my BP when sitting down, and then quickly standing up and immediately measuring it again. My BP dropped significantly, while according to him it should actually increase by a couple points. This is because blood pressure suddenly drops, so your adrenals work quickly to constrict your blood vessels, increasing blood pressure so you don't faint. Also when he touched my adrenals they were so tender that I whooped like the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Also, DO NOT FAST!!! Many people with AF have a hard time regulating blood sugar (adrenals help to raise blood sugar), so fasting is extremely dangerous! I did a 1-2 day water fast and my hypoglycemic symptoms went crazy. I almost had seizures, uncontrollable muscle spasms, terrible cold sweats, and was throwing up violently. This won't happen to everyone, but a bad combo of ailments led to this for me. Counter-intuitively you DO NOT rest the adrenals by not eating, you rest them by keeping your blood sugar levels stable. Get plenty of rest too (even when you are eating normally). That means little exercise also, and a completely stress free environment.

What really helps is if you go on a sugar control diet. This means avoiding all sweeteners, refined flour products, starchy vegtables, limited yellow veggies, and most condiments. You're allowed to eat pretty much unlimited fresh fruit (NO SUGAR ADDED fresh juices must be diluted with water by 50%), non-starchy vegetables, unlimited oils and proteins. You're also allowed to eat shortgrain glutinous rice as long as you toast it to a golden brown beforehand and cook it properly, but wheat products are to be avoided. Also, a MANDATORY 32oz of water per 50lbs of body weight. First thing in the morning drink 8oz of warm water with the juice of half of a lemon in the morning. Follow food combining rules for good measure.

You HAVE to eat every 2 hours after you wake, especially if you're eating fruit. Fluctuations in blood sugar (because of messed up adrenals) will wreak havoc on ur system, so you have to make sure that keep it level throughout the day. OH yah, and go have a party with the salt! It is extremely helpful for restoring proper adrenal function. Follow your cravings!

*non vegan discussion removed... if you want to contact the poster for information go ahead - but this is a raw vegan forum*

[kaybee]

luonnollisesti-- adrenal fatigue and hypothyroid issues can be interrelated, so its helpful to try to support both systems at once.
bladderwrack seaweed has been shown to have weakly active thyroid hormone in it, (see ryan drum's site), so supplementing with bladderwrack is a great idea. also, in my experience,
eleuthero (siberian ginseng), which is an adaptogen, has been a lifesaver...it stabilizes your adrenals so they are not releasing either too much or too little hormone. the best formula i know of is the syrup available from wise women herbals; this is the one that i was prescribed by bastyr university.
also, licorice (i use the wise women herbals one as well), helps with energy by preventing the conversion of cortisol to cortisone (or maybe the other way around? i forget) which means there is more circulating in your bloodstream without the adrenals having to release more.
nettle SEED, which you can probably get from mountain rose herbs or ryan drum, or collect yourself in a few months if you have nettles growing abundantly, has been helpful to MANY people for treating adrenal exhaustion. see ryan drums site and also healingwise forums message boards for more info
nettle infusion, made from the dried leaves, and made by using 1/4 cup of dried herb in a quart of boiling water, left to steep overnight, then strain and drink, has and is proving immensely helpful for me in terms of energy and its also a good source of nutrients. usually i cant feel the difference from using herbs or supplements, but the nettle infusion/strong tea is like a major superfood hit for me. possibly you can even collect and dry the nettles yourself, though the leaves should only be collected before the nettles start putting out seed.

whats cool is that things like nettles are basically regarded as "weeds" because they are super-abundant, but their abundance is to our advantage as they can be tremendously healing :) likewise with bladderwrack seaweed if you happen to live near a coast. there are also other adaptogens such as holy basil that you could grow yourself if thats an option for you, though personally ive found the above herbs to work the best.

I'd encourage you to try to maintain your vegan diet, and add herbal supplements, rather than resorting to using animal glandular extracts. Also, in my experience, stress reduction has been important, but also REGULAR, EARLY, BEDTIMES (10 pm) has proven to be key in helping me to recover.

good luck, and hang in there.

kaybee

[Sunshine_1]

Hello,

I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue 3 years ago and my doctor (who is holistic in his views) was not able to pull me out of it. However, my nutritionist was:cheer: I function much better now, than I did then, but have recently put on weight and have had a much more difficult time "coping" in the past 2 months so I know my adrenals are stressed again.

I am a mother of 5 children and I homeschool. I have graduated my two oldest children from highschool in the past 2 years and they are now attending the local Junior College.

I have been in a very stressful marriage for 27 years, though the past year has finally brought some significant change and stress reduction in our relationship.

The things that I believe contributed to the development of my Adrenal Fatigue are:

My mother died of breast cancer when I was 16 years old (she was my best friend, so really hard on me).

My father re-married less than a year later (I wasn't prepared for this and it was stressful adjusting to having a new "mother" in the home.)

Got married when I was 20, and quickly learned that I was his 2nd choice for marriage, not his first (the young lady he wanted to marry wasn't interested in marrying him and he never asked her). He told me that once he "had" me, he no longer had to work on our marriage... 20+ years of living in a difficult marriage is what I contribute the biggest cause of my Adrenal Fatigue since I always tried to please him but nothing I did was ever good enough. I still live with some of this, but thankfully he is now trying to work on the marriage :-)

I developed a lump in one of my breasts and had it removed (at that age, it was a scary situation for me, having lost my mother to cancer only a few years earlier).

Had 5 full term pregnancies and gave birth to 5 children. All children nursed for 2-3 years (except #1, who only nursed for about 1 year). So night nursings interrupted my sleep for about 10 years.

One child had open heart surgery when he was 2 months old, and the stress of doctor appointments, surgery and time spent in ICU/hospital, let alone recovery was an added stress.

I've never smoked and I don't drink. I've always had a fairly good SAD diet (not eating a lot of sugar or junk food). For many years I would grind my own grains and make my own bread. I don't drink caffeine or soda and I eat chocolate only rarely. Even decaf coffee affects my heart rhythm.

I have tried to eat more raw foods at different times in my life, and would love to be able to get to a point where I can tolerate them well.

I recently tried a green smoothie cleanse, and on the 2nd day of the cleanse, I simply couldn't tolerate it any longer. My heart started having palpitations again, even though I was taking all of my supplements. I wasn't even doing all smoothies - I would dip raw green beans in salt because I was trying to figure out different ways to be sure I was getting the salt my body craved.

My husband encouraged me to give up the green smoothies and raw foods because of my heart problems, and I conceded.

But I'd really like to figure out how to start slowly, adding in a smoothie or fresh juice, more salads (I already eat raw nuts) and sprouted grains.

Going all raw can be a huge stress for me, but if I do it gradually I'm hoping it will become more natural and less stressful, and that eventually, I'll be able to be about 80% raw.

My body needs high quality animal protein, so I think I'll start by weaning myself onto more wild Salmon and other fish (I love raw Ahi). I need to find a good balance - something that will eventually give me more energy, and I know that raw foods are packed with nutrients... it's getting this 47 year old body that is peri-menopausal, to be able to absorb and utilize the nutrients.

I go to bed between 9-9:30PM each night. but I wake up in the middle of the night too.

My nutritionist says:

In bed by 9PM and you're putting energy into your body.
In bed by 10PM and you're breaking even.
In bed by 11PM and you're taking energy out of your body.

And she says that if you're used to going to bed late, just start going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you hit your target time that you want to go to bed each night.

Exercise: For a couple of years, I had a hard time even walking around the block. Now I have the energy to ride my bike on the trail next to the creek, but when I do this for 3 or 4 days, I become exhausted. Ugh! I want so much to be able to exercise. But if losing this weight is more about hormonal balance, no stress, and supporting the Adrenals, then I'll work on that first. So hard when dh doesn't believe in Adrenal Fatigue and doesn't believe that exercise is actually bad for me (he says "push through it and you'll get to a point where you're not tired anymore"). I know that's not true. He hasn't been in my shoes and he won't read or listen to anything I say about it, so I just have to realize that he's speaking from a point of ignorance. He is trying, though, and he did read one article I sent him on peri-menopausal symptoms, and he got a little "aha moment" from that, so I'm thankful that he at least understands why mood swings may happen from time to time (I've never been moody, so this is catching him off guard).

I'd love to hear from anyone else who has made the transition to more raw foods gradually, or if there's someone that wants to try to do this with me I'd love to hear from you too.

Sunshine_1

[Arky]

Hi Sunshine, I'm intrigued by your post, some of which I've summarised in quotes below.

There's invariably more than one standpoint to consider any health issue from, and each of us has our own little areas of interest that we've learned about over the years, either from intellectual curiosity or from personal necessity.

Since I've been forced to learn a great deal about heavy metal intoxication in order to improve my own health issues, I am familiar with some of the patterns and constellations of symptoms which may occur with heavy metal intoxication. It is from this particular perspective that your stated symptoms intrigue me. Of course, there are many potential causes for each of the symptoms you've listed - I don't dispute that at all, but I'm not looking at your symptoms only on an individual basis; I'm also looking at them as a constellation of symptoms just possibly, maybe, pointing towards a common cause:






I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue 3 years ago...

Heavy metals such as mercury can disrupt endocrine function and are extremely stressful to the adrenals - just ask anyone like myself who has undergone, or is currently undergoing, longterm mercury chelation, and they'll undoubtedly confirm this, emphatically.






My mother died of breast cancer when I was 16 years old

I developed a lump in one of my breasts and had it removed

A number of heavy metals have been correlated with breast tumours. These include mercury, copper, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, chromium, iron, tin and arsenic.

Also note that a child need not necessarily be exposed to heavy metals during life after birth, in order to be heavy metal intoxicated. On the contrary, though many vaccines have long contained ethylmercury preservatives ('Thimerosal') to which a child may have been exposed, as a consequence of numerous vaccinations, and although many children have been subjected to the tender mercies of their friendly dentist's jar of mercury amalgam, it is also possible for heavy metals to cross the placenta during gestation. This is at least worthy of contemplation if both your mother and yourself have experienced breast anomalies.

Did your mum have any other health symptoms that might relate to heavy metal intoxication? (the list is surprisingly broad)

Did your mother, or do you, have dental amalgams?

Did your mother eat fish or poultry very frequently?

(there are NUMEROUS other possible sources of exposure, but no sense in getting into that here)







Even decaf coffee affects my heart rhythm.

Many possibilities for this (caffeine, chlorogenic acid etc.), but nonetheless interesting that arrhythmias can also occur if heart cells/tissues are intoxicated with the likes of mercury, arsenic, antimony, etc.






I recently tried a green smoothie cleanse, and on the 2nd day of the cleanse, I simply couldn't tolerate it any longer. My heart started having palpitations again, even though I was taking all of my supplements.

My husband encouraged me to give up the green smoothies and raw foods because of my heart problems, and I conceded.

High potassium intake, perhaps?

High sulphur intake, perhaps? (sulphurous foods such as brassicas, garlic, turmeric, chlorella, spirulina etc. are rich in 'thiols' which move metals around the body, problematically-so)

Certain heavy metals, such as arsenic and mercury can impede uptake of magnesium by the cells of the heart, leading to arrhythmias and other heart symptoms.






I go to bed between 9-9:30PM each night. but I wake up in the middle of the night too.




We both know that this is quite a classic symptom of adrenal fatigue, but may I ask you something related? (please forgive the very personal question and you needn't answer it if it makes you feel uncomfortable to do so) - do you find you urinate a disproportionate amount at night?




Lastly, it's also of interest to note that mercury and arsenic seem to quite commonly co-occur in intoxicated patients.


Anyway, as I said, the above remarks are only from one standpoint, and may be off the mark in your case, but it's always worth examining possibilities, one-by-one, discarding those that don't resonate, and digging deeper with any that do happen to resonate with one's own experience and symptoms. That's exactly what I learned to do and it's exactly what led me to a successful diagnosis, upon the basis of which I'm now undergoing appropriate treatment.


I wish you well, whatever conclusions you arrive at in your own health journey. Take care.

[Sunshine_1]

Hi Arky,

Thank you for your response.

I had a hair analysis done 3 years ago and at that time it did not show any heavy metal toxicity. However I will not rule it out. I had a mouthful of amalgam fillings when I was young, and have had them all removed. Oddly, my mother never had a single filling. I do, however, believe that I need to do some detoxing.

Potassium was within range, magnesium was very high. My nutritionist usually sees a deficiency in magnesium, but not with me. She even told me to limit my "high magnesium" foods for awhile. Once I started doing everything she said, I started to feel much better, but that was after investing about $2,000.00 in supplements, tests and visits with her - all in about a 2 month period of time. Of course I spent more than that because I worked with her for more than 2 months, but that's how much it cost me to get things going on the right path to healing.

I called a holistic doctor's office today and they have various processes for detoxification. I'm hoping my husband will allow me to start with this doctor, even though it will be expensive. Most tests are not covered under insurance, but I'm used to that.

Waking at night - I do not urinate a disproportionate amount at night. I do not use the bathroom when I wake up at night.

I'm looking forward to working with this new doctor as she offers a membership program ($139 per month) for doctor visits, diet plan, etc. Our first appointment is $300 (if I sign up for membership, if not, then $350) and that will be for a 60-75 minute appointment. This is very typical for holistic doctors in my area - sadly insurance won't cover much of this. My husband was out of work for 2 1/2 years, and just started a new job a couple of months ago, so things are still tight, but my health is really important so I'm guessing my husband will say I can start with this new doctor :-)

Thanks for sharing about heavy metal toxicity. Will be interesting to see what tests the new doctor wants to do, and what those tests show.

Sunshine_1

[Arky]

I had a hair analysis done 3 years ago and at that time it did not show any heavy metal toxicity. However I will not rule it out. I had a mouthful of amalgam fillings when I was young, and have had them all removed.

Mmm...well, here's the thing... after cessation of exposure, mercury remains in the bloodstream for no more than approximately 3 months, during which time it is not all excreted - a hefty proportion of it become sequestered in various cells, tissues and organs of the body, including the brain. In the brain, in particular, mercury can remain for decades, possibly even a whole lifetime. I'm glad you have the good sense to remain open-minded about the possibility.

Therefore, if your exposure (and cessation of exposure) occurred during childhood, then one could quite reasonably expect no mercury to show up in a hair test done during adulthood.

Furthermore, please bear in mind that, since mercury is able to disrupt the correct functioning of cells and enzymes, it is able to induce a state in the body whereby mineral transport can become 'deranged' to some degree, and this means that a mercury-intoxicated persons other mineral readings on a hair analysis should not be interpreted too literally - they may quite wildly differ from actual body levels of metals/minerals. It should additionally be remembered that under such circumstances, even if one could simply read accurately levels of all elements from a hair analysis, the presence of mercury would still mean that even someone with supposedly 'perfect' levels of all essential minerals in the body might nonetheless still (potentially) have a functional deficiency of some of them, owing to the cells being inhibited from correctly metabolising them. It's extremely tricky stuff, mercury, which is why it can have such incredibly wide-ranging deleterious effects upon animal and human health.

Until you've investigated this further, please avoid consuming cilantro, NDF, PCA-Rx, and alpha lipoic acid, (even if a doctor recommends them!). I encourage you to acquaint yourself with the work of Andrew Hall Cutler. I'm on his protocol myself, for mercury, lead and arsenic detox. His is the only safe heavy metals detoxification protocol I have encountered (and believe me, I dug deep in my research, and am no newcomer to detoxification protocols or natural healing). The safety aspect relates to taking account of the pharmacokinetics of chelation substances. Any doctor who recommends protocols that don't take account of the pharmacokinetics of the chelation substances being used is putting the general health, and particularly the neurological health, of his/her patients at enormous risk. I appreciate that that's an awfully bold statement but I stand by it absolutely 100%. If you dig around some of my posts from the past few months (including 'private' discussion in my visitors' page on this forum), you'll find plenty of discussion on safe chelation etc. of heavy metals. Cutler's books are the one's to get if you wish to learn what matters in terms of recovery from heavy metal intoxication.

I really can empathise with your situation (regardless of whether or not it turns out to be a case of heavy-metal intoxication). The point is that I've been where you are now and it's hell when everywhere you turn costs, costs, costs, and your health continues to decline, in spite of all one's efforts. It's the not knowing why that's the worst part, isn't it?

I despaired of all the arrogant 'specialists' who told me there was nothing wrong with me and that I was imagining my symptoms and gave me that condescending look as if to say "you need a psychiatrist, not a medical doctor". Well, my own determination and persistence finally paid off and I figured it out for myself, with lab tests confirming my suspicions of heavy metal intoxication (mostly from vaccines, in my case).

Without me trying to 'push' a heavy metals hypothesis too hard upon you, I nonetheless urge you to please consider it very seriously - as I said above, your hair test is not conclusive, since your source of exposure ceased many years ago; your hair follicles will only excrete what is 'free' in the body, and even then, mercury can, paradoxically, inhibit excretion of itself, both via the hair follicles and via the hepato-billiary route. The inhibition of excretion via hair follicles has been observed in a study with autistic kids who did, in spite of having very low hair levels of mercury, respond very favourably to mercury chelation, although I apologise that I can't recall the name of the study.

Note that, in digging deeper on the heavy metals hypothesis, it'd be unwise to undergo a 'challenge' test of any sort, since these can do far more harm than good. Cutler's materials explain why this is (e.g. his books aside, one of his podcast interviews can be found here: www.healthcentersofthefuture.com/DrCutler/ )


Is it a coincidence that I observed a potential association between your very varied symptoms and one type of cause?

Maybe. But that'd be one hell of a lucky stab in the dark if it's just a coincidence.

No, I contend that there is a legitimate pattern there - one which is, at the very least, worth investigating further. Though I couldn't possibly have known it when I originally suggested metals, you've now told me you had amalgams during childhood and had them removed (done with insufficient safety precautions, the removal process can often be more acutely intoxicating than the amalgams remaining in situ, ironically). That I recognised a potential pattern doesn't mean I'm clever (I'm as daft as the next person, and probably more daft!), it simply means I've walked this path (still am) and so I know some of the things to look out for in others who may be unknowingly experiencing the same thing. I wish someone else had been able to do the same for me, but I had to find my own way to diagnosis (eventually!)


You've not mentioned many symptoms, but I'm willing to bet you may have many more niggling health clues which potentially slot into the heavy metals intoxication hypothesis. Perhaps do a bit of googling for heavy metals symptoms yourself and see what you come up with?

Some common examples:

IBS
chemical sensitivities
food sensitivities
blurry vision / difficulty focusing
strange muscle twitches (may be anywhere in the body but twitching eyelids are common)
very poor short term memory
'brain fog'


KD Ironside's blog is excellent (have a good dig around her metal intoxication-related posts, as they contain a lot of useful info):

whatidontknow.net/blog/a-lifetime-of-questions/


and so is Aine's (offers some good links, too):

mercurystories.com



I'm going to leave it there for now, since I need to get some sleep.


However, I wish you all the best in your pursuit of answers and recovery. If there's anything I can do to assist you on the metals side of things, do let me know and I'll do my utmost to help. Metals aside, if you are persistent enough, and retain an open mind, you will eventually find what the heck is going on with your health issues.


.

[Arky]

A couple of heavy-metals-related threads here on RawFoodTalk.com:


http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?65688-Mercury-Removal-Experience

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?65152-Chemical-Toxicity-etc


there are other threads, too, if you dig around

[Sunshine_1]

Thanks! I'm replying to your other e-mail. I've downloaded the podcast and am putting it on my iPod now.

I have a really good audio that one of my doctors gave me. It's a seminar that was given by Dr. Wilson on adrenal fatigue in children, but I found lots of good information in it for myself. I'll upload it for about 24 hours in case you want to download and listen.

Part 1: http://www.birthbabyandmom.info/audios/01%201-Recognizing%20and%20Treatment%20of%20Adrenal%20Fat igue%20in%20Children.mp3

Part 2: http://www.birthbabyandmom.info/audios/02%20Recognizing%20and%20Treatment%20of%20Adrenal% 20Fatigue%20in%20Children.mp3

[Arky]

Many thanks for the Dr Wilson links (I do have his book, funnily enough, since my adrenals took a tumble once I began chelating the mercury from my body). I'm downloading the audio files now..


Here's another metals thread here on the board:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?63346-Candida-is-making-my-life-miserable


Obviously don't expect you to read all these threads right now, but they may flag-up clues about your own symptoms, when you get around to perusing them.

Now I really must get to bed, but I'll be sure to respond to you within the next 24 hours.

[Sunshine_1]

Okay - I was just about to finish up my post and it logged me out which means I lost it.

So will try again... maybe tomorrow as I need to move onto something else now.